There are many important challenges facing our country that could be in the top 3. For NY-16, the voters talk about different aspects of one big problem, affordablity.
1. The primary challenge to a healthy economy is that there is too much federal government spending. Cut federal spending 10 % in real terms. This will curb inflation, reduce interest rates, and promote private investment that creates more jobs.
2. Reduce taxes - waive federal tax withholding to employees earnging under $40,000. There is no better work incentive program than allowing people to keep the money they earn when they earn it. The hidden, added benefit is that small business owners do not have to pay a matching FICA tax. This allows small business owners to hire more people, hire better people at higher wages, or increase their narrow profit margins.
3. Utility/Energy costs - "Drill, baby, drill" and recommission Indian Point Energy Center for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMR's). We must increase supply.
As with most other issues, I believe that open, honest, and transparent free-market principals should be applied to the election fundraising market. The federal government's responsibility is to insure transparency of fundraising in elections.
Any person should be able to give any amount as long as it is disclosed and reported.
Putting limits on contributions results in convoluted schemes to raise money, hide sources, and otherwise work around contribution limits.
As long as voters know who is funding candidates, they will be able to evaluate where the candidates loyalties are.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and politics is a diseased industry.
Look at George Latimer, he get paid millions and millions of dollars from AIPAC just he doesn't join the Democrat National Socialist running the Democrat party. A sad state of affiars of another life-long politician cashing in.
There is only one Equal Protection Clause in the Constitution. The US Supreme Court correctly decided Louisiana v. Callais. Race should not be an issue in forming congressional election districts.
It is racist to maintain that a black candidate cannot represent a white-majority constituency or that a white candidate cannot represent a black-majority constituency.
This is the very distincition between "Equality" and "Equity".
Equality is equal standing under the law. People who are different get treated the same way; rich or poor, powerful or weak. It doesn't matter, every citizen is treated equally under the law.
Equity, on the other hand, requires unequal treatment under the law. That means the government treats people very differently depending on the catatory that the government assigns to that person.
For "equity", the government decides in advance who wins and who looses, based upon government mandates that can change quickly & capriciously.
Climate change is not the imminent, apocalyptic, catastrophic emergency that has been screamed by acadamia since the 1970's.
First, it was a "inadvertant climate modification" and "nuclear winter" that was going to end life on earth. Then, it was the "green house effect" and global warming, then "climate change", now it is "climate emergency".
But, to answer your question, market incentives -- such as taxes or tax credits -- will prompt businesses to innovate ever greater means and methods to reduce polution, waste, and depletion of our natural resources.
As explained by Milton Freedman, environmental taxes have a place in a free-market, free-enterprise system because environmental costs are usually not fully accounted for in the price of a good or service.
The US has a responsiblity to lead these institutions, not just support them (although we do that financially, militarily, and diplomatically more and better than any other country).
The UN, NATO and the ICC, are generally averse to American interests.
The UN should be moved out of the United States to a country that is better able to host the institution, like Cairo, Athens, The Hague, of Davos. There is no reason that the UN needs to be in New York. The land can be used much more beneficially to the people of New York, reduce traffic, and increase housing supply. Also, the Security Counsel should be 10 or 15 members, not 5.
Likewise, NATO has burgeoned into a military alliance far beyond it's original designation. Arguably, NATO has been the most successful military alliance in history, but it is now 80 years old and encompasses most of Europe, something it was explicitly not supposed to do. So, NATO should be reorganized to reflect the changing reality on the ground.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
